MVP? No, Give Them An Oscar

By: Kelsey Knutson

It's nothing new to see all-star athletes give all-star performances - acting performances. 

According to a New York Times article NBA stars put on high quality acting performances on the court. Driving to the basket and letting out yelps and screams, trying to get the attention of officials. 

The game's biggest stars are among some of the names being thrown around by officials for Oscar performances - Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, and LeBron James. 

According to Bernie Fryer, former NBA player and official that now oversees officiating in the league said, "Anytime anybody goes to the hoop they yell or scream."

Players say that trying to get the call to go their way is just a part of the game. However, many officials are getting tired of it and the players are just setting a bad example for younger kids. 

These NBA stars are just finding another reason for publicity and the media is feeding into it. The sports industry has always been in line with the entertainment industry, and the whole business feeds around the media coverage. 

The show is getting old and nobody even cares anymore - so they need to stop doing it. 

The game needs to be about the game, about the competition, and about winning. Not about the press coverage and you're image. 

Keyon Dooling, a point guard in the NBA had this to say, "It used to show that you were being aggressive. Now, its more so that you can get a foul. If you're a good player and you yell, that'll get you a whistle. But if you're an average player - you need to pick your body up and get back on defense."